The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-09

That 1t CID not wrench the cOntToI
of the Territory out of the hands OF
the majority of its residents, is not
to be credited to the absence ct such a
wish and design on the part OF its au-
thors and promoters, but to the over
ruling providence Of the Almighty
| The ground which those who favored
this measure seemed to take was, that
| it was both praiseWorthy and justina-
| bic to violate the soundest political
principles, and even the Constitution
| itself. to take the political control oi
the Territory of Utah from the "Mor-
mon" majority and concentrate 1t ID
! the hands of the i-"MornOn" mi
nority. Having gone thus far to ac-
compliSh this end, it was scarcely to
be expected they would hesitate to
make other and more outrageous at
tempts, when they found that the Sd
mundS law had not answered the 1uii
purpOsefo for which it was Intended: IL
appears to be one of the effects which
follow q departure from sound repuo-
J lican and constitutional principles ike
the enactment of such a strange piece
of legislation as the Edmunds
law, that every future attempt
in the same direction will be more re-
gard ess. of the settled principles OF
political liberty than its predecessor
The Edmunds law, instead OF appeaS-
| ing the anti-"Mormon" appetite for
power, only whetted it. The success
| of its promoters in securing its pas
sage, and the results which have fol-
| lowed, emboldened them to. make the
most extraordinary demands upon
| @ Dugress Tor further legislation. En-
is aries from Salt Lake City were en-
pIOyed and sent to Washington, sus-
| tanned by fuOGs levied upon and col
lected from the non-"MOrmon" popu-
lation of the Territory, to secure the
passage of law which would bind the
Mormon" people hand and foot, and
leave them, their liberties, their proper
ty and all that makes life valuable and
desirable, at the feet of their deadly
enemies. They did not appear to doubt
that their demands for legislation of
this character against US would meet
with ready acceptance on the part of
the National Legislature and the pub
lie generally.
( On the first day of the first session
of the Forty ninth Congress, Senator
Edmunds introduced a bill Numbered
10 on the Senate calendar) which con-
tanned shameful unrepublican features,
the evident purpose of which was to
entirely destroy all the liberties of the
majority Of the people of Utah. There
were few Senators who stood up
manfully and resisted the passage of
this measure as an attack upon re-
lig1oas liberty; but their protests and
arguments were in vain. The bill
passed the Senate and was sent to the
House. 1t was ably discussed before
the Judiciary Committee of the House
by our friends, and everything was
done that was possible to enlighten
that committee concerning the affairs
of Utah and the conspiracy which ex-
listed here to obtain the political con-
troll of the Territory. A new bill was
by the chairman of that COM
bill, and the provisions Of the new bill
were found to be equally Objectionable
with the bill for which is was subssi-
tute. The measure was modified and
by wiser and more conservative
in spite of the efforts of
those who inspired it-a result which
We view as due to the overruling pow
er of Providence and the reluctance of
some reasonable public men 10 sane
ton measure so utterly SubverSiye |
as this was of the rights of citizens. |
An agreement was reaShed by the Con- |
ference Committee, composed of men, |
berS of the Senate and of the House,
and in its amended form the bill was |!
reported to both houses, aad passed |
alteration. Il finally became |
law, without the signature of t2e Pres
Ident. In its original form the palpa-
bic Intention was to destroy she |
Church.
It is generally admitted that no such
law was ever enacted in this country J
before: and TO find it's parallel
one must search the records of
medieval times, when mems ideas
Of liberty were confined to such grants
Is despotic governments and rulers re-
chose to give them. The provi-
sions interfering with the property of |
he Church, and looking TO tae es-
cheating or other disposition of its
funds in manner contrary to the in
,ention OF the donors, are ia violation
II ecclesiastical rights and in the
nature OF con6scation aHd spoliation.
The disfranchisement OF all the !
women voters, without cause and
Without even the allegation of crime
against them, is an arbitrary exercise
II despotie power without parallel in
epublican history. No reasonable ex-
use can be offered for such an inva-
ion Of political rights exercised ]
Without hindrancc for seventeen wears:
nd the vain pretence of the enemies of
he Latter-daY Saints that they wish
o rescue the women of Utah from i
ondage has,l by this outrage upon 8
reedom, been efectuauy silenced for {
ser. Taken with other portions ofthe le
NV it betrays an attempt to pave the !
7ay for the dominat y: the major i
y by the minorit, acauSe the /
primer is composed d embers of c
n unpopular Church. L should be Q
le purpose of good G liens aud ! i
aithful Latter day Saints to maintain f
ne liberties which are dear to every i
itizen, by all legal and consistent (
leans within their power. And while
lany of the men and women who, with f
'iylne assistance, opened this region a
} human occupation and fitted it for t
lYIlized existence, are arbitrarily de- v
rived OF any personal participation in a
s government, it becomes the DUTY as d
ell as the privilege of those who can v
0 so under the operation of unjustly Fl
discriminating laws, to stand up man Il
lily and use all diligence and vigil v
nee in the retention and prevalence s
the local rule of the local majority.
4 thus sustaining the right and assist s.
e in the prevention OF wrong, they II
i'll have the blessings of q Just God O.
ad the approval OF an enlightened n
1nSciencS. a